Job 30:3 | KingComments | STEP | In the previous chapter Job recalled his past and now lost prosperity. Now he is forced to return to the reality of the present. In this chapter he deals again with his present misery. He starts describing it with “but now” ( ; cf. ), which underlines the contrast with the previous chapter. The change from prosperity to disaster cannot be described more dramatically than in these two chapters. If we get any sense of it, we can imagine how much the soul of Job has been overwhelmed by this change. He used to be honored by the most significant and important people; now he is despised by the scum of society. He used to be praised; now he has become a mockery. God used to guard him; now God has become cruel to him. Job begins in these verses to describe the dimensions of his misfortune by pointing out the kind of people who now besmirch him. It is the scum among the people. In despicable words Job speaks out about the people he used to do well but who now set themselves above him. As noted above, the words “but now” indicate a change with respect to the preceding chapter ( ). The word “now” of this chapter is in contrast to “months gone by” from the beginning of the preceding chapter ( ). Job is now mocked. And by whom? By people younger than him ( ). Young people used to hide when he went to the gate ( ), but now they laugh at him, they amuse themselves by making jokes about him. The fact that young people speak disdainfully about older people or criticize them negatively is unfortunately becoming more and more common in our time. Such an attitude goes against God’s Word. Whoever does this will face God Himself ( ). Young people are called to be submissive to the elderly ( ). Older people may wonder if they behave in such a way that this is not so difficult for young people. Job says of these mocking young people that they are the offspring of inferior fathers. How can you expect such fathers to teach their children appropriate standards of decency? He wouldn’t even want to give those fathers a place among the (shepherd) dogs – the only time the Bible mentions these dogs. A place among the dogs means great contempt, for in the east dogs were despised animals ( ). Job did not want to use these people, but they were also unfit to be used ( ). They could not and would not do anything. They had never learned to do anything because they did not want to. When they became old and powerless, there was nothing more to be expected of them. And the descendants of such people have the evil courage to mock Job. The fathers suffered from want and famine and were therefore “gaunt”, which means that nothing came out of their hands that was of any use to others ( ). They were not tolerated anywhere either. Therefore they “gnaw the dry ground”. Their gaunt life suited perfectly to a barren place, which also speaks of barrenness. They stayed in dark dens in the midst of devastation and destruction. Their whole environment speaks of death, darkness and desolation. They lived from mallow they could pick and from leaves of the bushes ( ). In this way they seemed to lead an animal life. From “the root of broom shrub” was made the best kind of charcoal that could burn for days. In Job’s time, it was a task for the lowest class of people. The community was better off without them. When they knocked somewhere, they were chased away like tramps, while being called dirty thieves ( ). They were not pathetic people, with whom you should have pity, but people who in no way wanted a decent existence. They chose this kind of life. As a dwelling place they chose the dreadful valleys, where no one else wanted to live ( ). Like rabbits they dug holes in the dust or inhabited the holes which existed in the rocks. Their mutual communication happened by crying out ( ). The same word is used for the braying of a donkey ( ). “Under the nettles” they huddled together for some warmth, but also for the blunting of their sexual lusts. They were totally shameless. Perhaps the unabashed crying out between the bushes should also be seen in connection with that. They lived like animals in every way. These fathers themselves were [literally] “sons of fools”, i.e. of fathers who lived without God and commandment ( ). They came from what we today call antisocial backgrounds of the worst kind. They did not have a name, that meaningless they were. There is little that offends a man so much in his dignity than to pretend he doesn’t exist, as if he is air. The people Job speaks of are such people who had no right to exist, because they did not take any responsibility. That is why they were “scourged from the land”. And it is the descendants of these idlers with no decency and no name who now come to Job to express their contempt for him. The question is whether we are able to understand somewhat what kind of grief this must be for him. In any case, it requires a great deal of empathy on our part. If we sit down in the spirit beside Job, we will feel something of the bitterness of the suffering it inflicts on him.

‏ Job 30:3

Introduction

In the previous chapter Job recalled his past and now lost prosperity. Now he is forced to return to the reality of the present. In this chapter he deals again with his present misery. He starts describing it with “but now” (Job 30:1; cf. Job 30:9), which underlines the contrast with the previous chapter.

The change from prosperity to disaster cannot be described more dramatically than in these two chapters. If we get any sense of it, we can imagine how much the soul of Job has been overwhelmed by this change. He used to be honored by the most significant and important people; now he is despised by the scum of society. He used to be praised; now he has become a mockery. God used to guard him; now God has become cruel to him.

His Horrible Mockers

Job begins in these verses to describe the dimensions of his misfortune by pointing out the kind of people who now besmirch him. It is the scum among the people. In despicable words Job speaks out about the people he used to do well but who now set themselves above him.

As noted above, the words “but now” indicate a change with respect to the preceding chapter (Job 30:1). The word “now” of this chapter is in contrast to “months gone by” from the beginning of the preceding chapter (Job 29:2). Job is now mocked. And by whom? By people younger than him (Job 19:18). Young people used to hide when he went to the gate (Job 29:8), but now they laugh at him, they amuse themselves by making jokes about him.

The fact that young people speak disdainfully about older people or criticize them negatively is unfortunately becoming more and more common in our time. Such an attitude goes against God’s Word. Whoever does this will face God Himself (Lev 19:32). Young people are called to be submissive to the elderly (1Pet 5:5a). Older people may wonder if they behave in such a way that this is not so difficult for young people.

Job says of these mocking young people that they are the offspring of inferior fathers. How can you expect such fathers to teach their children appropriate standards of decency? He wouldn’t even want to give those fathers a place among the (shepherd) dogs – the only time the Bible mentions these dogs. A place among the dogs means great contempt, for in the east dogs were despised animals (2Sam 16:9).

Job did not want to use these people, but they were also unfit to be used (Job 30:2). They could not and would not do anything. They had never learned to do anything because they did not want to. When they became old and powerless, there was nothing more to be expected of them. And the descendants of such people have the evil courage to mock Job.

The fathers suffered from want and famine and were therefore “gaunt”, which means that nothing came out of their hands that was of any use to others (Job 30:3). They were not tolerated anywhere either. Therefore they “gnaw the dry ground”. Their gaunt life suited perfectly to a barren place, which also speaks of barrenness. They stayed in dark dens in the midst of devastation and destruction. Their whole environment speaks of death, darkness and desolation.

They lived from mallow they could pick and from leaves of the bushes (Job 30:4). In this way they seemed to lead an animal life. From “the root of broom shrub” was made the best kind of charcoal that could burn for days. In Job’s time, it was a task for the lowest class of people.

The community was better off without them. When they knocked somewhere, they were chased away like tramps, while being called dirty thieves (Job 30:5). They were not pathetic people, with whom you should have pity, but people who in no way wanted a decent existence. They chose this kind of life.

As a dwelling place they chose the dreadful valleys, where no one else wanted to live (Job 30:6). Like rabbits they dug holes in the dust or inhabited the holes which existed in the rocks.

Their mutual communication happened by crying out (Job 30:7). The same word is used for the braying of a donkey (Job 6:5). “Under the nettles” they huddled together for some warmth, but also for the blunting of their sexual lusts. They were totally shameless. Perhaps the unabashed crying out between the bushes should also be seen in connection with that. They lived like animals in every way.

These fathers themselves were [literally] “sons of fools”, i.e. of fathers who lived without God and commandment (Job 30:8). They came from what we today call antisocial backgrounds of the worst kind. They did not have a name, that meaningless they were. There is little that offends a man so much in his dignity than to pretend he doesn’t exist, as if he is air. The people Job speaks of are such people who had no right to exist, because they did not take any responsibility. That is why they were “scourged from the land”.

And it is the descendants of these idlers with no decency and no name who now come to Job to express their contempt for him. The question is whether we are able to understand somewhat what kind of grief this must be for him. In any case, it requires a great deal of empathy on our part. If we sit down in the spirit beside Job, we will feel something of the bitterness of the suffering it inflicts on him.